Warriors blank back-to-back hockey foes

SOLDOTNA — How many shots does it take to score on the Wasilla hockey team? Instead of inquiring with the wise old owl, ask the Soldotna Stars.

The Stars tested the Warriors defense Thursday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex with 43 shots on goal, but could not beat Wasilla goalie Zach Curry, who handed SoHi a 3-0 loss in Northern Lights Conference play.

“We had our chances, just couldn’t finish them,” said Soldotna coach Derek Urban. “The bounces weren’t going our way.”

Senior forward Larsen Tubbs scored twice and Curry preserved the 43-save shutout — his first of his prep varsity career — to lift the Warriors to the win, one in which SoHi simply could not manage to score despite numerous high-quality chances.

“Any time you can (shut a team out) is good,” said Wasilla coach Trent Schachle. “Zach was great in net tonight and that’s what we expect of him.”

After a first-period goal by Tubbs before five minutes were up opened the scoring for Wasilla, SoHi began pressing harder and harder. Tubbs scored after winning a battle for the puck with a Stars defender, then sending in the top-shelf shot from about 10 feet out.

The second period saw a wild display of high-powered offense and spectacular saves. Wasilla recorded a crucial penalty kill in the early minutes of the period, then had to endure over six minutes of penalty kill in the middle stages of the frame. A normal, two-minute power play for Soldotna was then extended to a 5-on-3 man advantage after a major was committed by the Warriors.

Ultimately, Wasilla spent a total of 6 minutes, 16 seconds, trying to kill off the penalties, and as soon as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard, the Warriors struck fast, getting a goal by Tubbs with 1:45 to play in the frame. Tubbs was in perfect position to catch a rebound off SoHi goalie Billy Yoder in the crease and bump the Wasilla lead to 2-0. Yoder ended the night stopping 20 of 23 shots.

“That was definitely the turning point for us,” Urban said. “We were looking good and getting pucks to the net, and then they scored.”

With 9:14 to play in the third period, it looked as if SoHi finally had its long-overdue goal, but the shot from Levi Hensley was waived off for a whistle blown before the puck went in. Barely two minutes later, a rebound off the pads of Curry landed just in front of the Wasilla crease, where SoHi forward Ethan Brown was unmarked, but Brown could not slow his momentum enough to get a handle on the puck, which Curry quickly covered up to save the goal.

Garrett Conroy scored for Wasilla with under five minutes to play to ice the game.

Wasilla freshman Porter Schachle scored four times, a trio of goalies combined for the shutout and the visiting Warriors routed Kenai Central for a Northern Lights Conference victory Friday afternoon at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.

In addition to Schachle’s four goals, junior forwards Garrett Conroy and Alex Clark both notched hat tricks for Wasilla.

In goal, senior Zach Curry started in net and stopped three shots in the first period, sophomore Brian Bess warded off seven shots in the second period, and sophomore Sean Carney finished the game with a shot blocked in the third period.

Ryan Williams saved 33 of 45 shots in goal for the Kards.

With the win, Wasilla improved to 5-5 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Wasilla coach Trent Schachle praised his team for efficient play but also stressed after the game that his intent was not to run the score up.

“The kids still want to play, and I don’t fault them for working hard,” Schachle said. “It’s a tough situation.”

Porter Schachle began the offensive onslaught just 1:48 into the game to score the first of his four goals, then added another just past the six-minute mark. Braden Brunnhoelzl scored late in the period, juking between two Kenai defenders to slot in the goal and give Wasilla a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.

Clark tallied his first goal of the day 9:49 into the second period, intercepting the puck as a Kenai power play was finishing up and beating out a Kenai defender to score on a 1-on-1 breakaway against Williams.

A five-minute major called on Kenai only made matters worse for the Kards, as Schachle notched goals three and four in a 13-second span late in the second period.

“We had a five-minute power play there and scored a couple goals, so we were playing very well,” coach Schachle said.

Conroy tallied his three goals in a span of 3:24 in the third period, and Wasilla finished off the game with a trio of quick goals by Christian Rivas and Clark in a 34-second span.

The Warriors finished a clean sweep on the weekend Saturday in Homer with the overtime victory.

With 1:56 left in OT, Garrett Conroy, assisted by Larsen Tubbs and Austin Stephens, scored to end the game.

Wasilla had taken the lead in the first period when Tubbs, on assists from Conroy and Porter Schachle, scored a little over a minute into the game. But Homer answered with 4:36 left in the first on a goal by Dimitry Kuzmin. With under a minute left in the first, Alex Clark, assisted by Braden Brunnhoelzl and Engan, gave Wasilla a 2-1 lead.

In the third period, Kuzmin, assisted by Charlie Menke, scored with 4:32 left to set up overtime.

Zach Curry had 25 saves for Wasilla, while Riley Swanson had 35 for Homer.

Wasilla improved to 3-1 in the North Star Conference with the weekend wins.

Wasilla 3, Homer 2 OT

First period — 1. Wasilla, Tubbs (Conroy, Schachle), 1:18; 2. Homer, Kuzmin (Huffman), 10:24; 3. Wasilla, Clark (Brunnhoelzl, Engan), 14:04.

Second period — none.

Third period — 4. Homer, Kuzmin (Menke), 10:28.

Overtime — 5. Wasilla, Conroy (Tubbs, Stephens), 3:04. Penalties — none.

Shots on goal — Wasilla 9-13-8-8—38; Homer 14-5-7-1—27.

Goalies — Wasilla, Curry (27 shots, 25 saves); Homer, Swanson (38 shots, 35 saves).

Wasilla 12, Kenai 0

Friday, Soldotna Sports Center

First period — 1. Wasilla, Schachle (Conroy, Trush), 1:48; 2. Wasilla, Schachle (unassisted), 6:07; 3. Wasilla, Brunnhoelzl (Sinyawski), 12:34.

Second period — 4. Wasilla, Clark (unassisted), 9:49; 5. Wasilla, Schachle (Holohan), 13:07; 6. Wasilla, Schachle (unassisted), 13:20. Third period — 7. Wasilla, Conroy (unassisted), 3:25; 8. Wasilla, Conroy (Clark, Moore), 4:14; 9. Wasilla, Conroy (Clark, Engan), 6:48; 10. Wasilla, Rivas (D. Matson), 8:41; 11. Wasilla, Clark (Moore), 8:54; 12. Wasilla, Clark (Brunnhoelzl, Bayliffe), 9:15.